Working title

From Plone to Plinkit to Public Libraries: A Tale of Four States

Abstract

Plinkit (Public Library Interface Kit)  is a Content Management System offered by State Libraries and Regional Systems to empower small rural libraries in creating intuitive, dynamic websites with little effort and no technical expertise.  The Oregon State Library initiated this project used Plone (an Open Source CMS) to develop Plinkit. The Colorado State Library, the Texas State Library, and Illinois Regional Systems have joined Oregon to form a collaborative. Together these systems are rolling out Plinkit websites to small rural libraries in all four states.  This session will discuss Plone and how it has been used to create Plinkit; the multi-state cooperative and how Plinkit is being rolled out, developed and sustained; and the impact of Plinkit on rural  public libraries.  Technical aspects, project management specifics, and end-user benefits will be discussed.